Dell XPS 13 9310 review

 

Dell's XPS laptop layout has always been a sugar daddy for those looking for a good piece of hardware running Windows. However, the same focus is given to the lesser strength of all that of steel. We reviewed the 2020 XPS model with an Intel 10th-gen processor a few months ago and found it to be a well-designed, integrated ‘no-nonsense’ tool. However, with the latest iteration - the Dell XPS 13 9310, the firm is using that much 'space' to install a more powerful chipset inside.

With XPS 13 9310, Dell aims to bring the same ‘eye-candy’ through more beast performance. And this one is also not cheap. The basic 8GB RAM model sells for ₹ 1,49,990 while the 16GB RAM + 1TB model is at a high ₹ 2,09,990. We've been using the 1TB model for a long time and here's what we have to say.

Not much will be said about the design of the XPS 13 9310. That’s because it’s similar to the Intel 10th-gen model introduced last year. It has the same aluminum finish, no large bezels on the screen (on either side) and a combined keyboard layout. It may come out as 'boring' to others but 'boring' does not mean 'not premium'. It still has that premium appeal in it, something that is hard to ignore in the already crowded laptop market. As we said before, there is nothing wrong with using the same design, which is impressive, even after two generations, which looks like proof of the future and of time. So, why are you fixing something that doesn’t need to be there.

Keyboard layout remains the same. Combined and the buttons are much closer than what you see on a standard laptop. But that can only add to the compact form and make it easier to type, considering that finger testing is reduced as most of the area is accessible without much flexibility.

We found the Frost + Arctic White interior color model, which, unfortunately, the only different color is the 16GB RAM + 1TB storage version. The basic model with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage comes with Platinum Silver without + black interior color. While the choice here is modest, it still limits the user (paying premium) to a single color option. We used the Platinum Silver model last year and now we can clearly say that, for both of them, the Frost version looks great.

The heft is right here at about 1.3Kgs. That is despite the fact that it is one of the most versatile and low-end laptops. However, in addition to the size we like to have a simple laptop, Lenovo was able to bark it recently with the White Yoga Slim 7i Carbon weighing less than a pound and lasting longer.

The screen is one of the key purchase features of the XPS 13 9310. Once again, the size, adjustment, features and bezels remain the same as the previous model. And we're going to say again and again that it looks good. You get a 13.3-inch screen with InfinityEdge that features unlimited display and a 92.9% screen size, which helps it make you immersive enough in the event you watch movies and shows online. Adding to the experience are HDR support, Dolby Vision, 100% sRGB and 90% DCI P3 - all that one would expect from a premium offering. The screens are bright enough so you can work while sitting somewhere outside.

The model we found to update was a touch-screen version of UHD. However, audiences who are targeted at Dell XPS 13 may not be the ones who need a touch screen to make things happen. Touch screens are still limited to certain use cases and are best suited to get a 2-in-1 form. However, we don't see much use in the Dell XPS 13, we think it doesn't have a 180-degree hinge.

While the hinge was solid without a loose screen at all, we felt that the hinge that came up to 130 degrees was the limit. It would be nice if the screen could go all the way up to 180-degree to better view angle flexibility. This is not a big deal but a concern anyway.

Dell XPS 13 9310 comes with a UHD + resolution (3840x2400 pixels), which is always good to have but if it makes a difference in your viewing experience. For us, it has never made a difference in the 13.3-inch screen size and added to the cost. It can also be appreciated if there is a touch screen model with 16GB RAM. Depending on the website listing, the basic model is the only one with a touch screen panel.

When you have an advanced Intel processor running under the hood and enough RAM and fast SSD storage, it’s hard to complain. The new Dell XPS 13 leaves nothing to the forefront and that’s thanks to the Intel 11th-gen ‘Tiger Lake’ Core i7 - 1185G7 processor (12MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz), which is a great laptop application to thunder at this time. Also available are Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB LPDDR4x RAM (4267MHz) and 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.

As a last resort, no Nvidia GPU treatment is provided here but if you look at the power of the Intel processor and graphics, you can still play simple games on this. In addition to spending most of our time in the Chrome browser and in video streaming apps and document editing, we also played for many years of Age of Empires. The apps worked fine and left us with no major complaints.

We felt the heat. The Dell XPS 13 is a piece of Hardware so there is not much flexibility for the company to incorporate effective heat dissipation technology. After normal use, we were able to feel the device warming up. The temperature rises sharply when you are in the battery. But on the bright side, we didn’t feel the heat reaching the keyboard or palm rest area. And if it makes you feel better, the XPS 13 is very quiet.